As moms, we all know how difficult it can be just to get five hours of sleep at night, let alone keep our career and personal goals afloat. But, just because you have a family and new responsibilities, doesn’t mean that you have to give up on your dreams. Today we will be discussing tips to help you keep your goals alive while running around after your kids.

Keeping your Goals Alive as a Working Mom

Limit Social Media

I think social media is a great thing. It’s an excellent way for us to be able to connect with old friends, family members, and keep up in our friends’ lives. But, it can also be quite the time waster. How many times have you, exhausted from the day, or about to start your day, reached over to scroll through Facebook or Instagram instead of doing something more productive? I know that I have. So, try to limit how much you check your social media accounts each day. Maybe even try a social media detox. This may free up your mornings and evenings in ways you didn’t think possible before.

Lean On Your Spouse

I know that this one might sound like common sense, but how often do we try to do everything, to be super mom? I know I have. It can be easy to think that you have to pack the lunches, that you have to tuck the kids into bed, that you have to take them to all their appointments, but your husband should be more than willing to help you share that burden. Especially if you are both working parents, he has no excuse for not helping out more. Try having an open conversation with him and asking if he would be able to take some small things off your plate.  And, who knows? Maybe your husband can bond with your children even more over these new opportunities to spend time together.

Make a List

Think long and hard about the goals you want to accomplish. These could be for the job you currently have, or just something you want to achieve in the future. Either way, write out what it is that you want to accomplish in the next couple of weeks or months. Make your list of smart goals for working moms. Once you have the ultimate goals written out, you should be able to break those into smaller more achievable steps. For example, maybe one of your goals is to figure out how to go back to school to get a master’s or another degree. Some of your action steps might include looking up colleges in the area or online and making a list, making a budget, and looking up classes. Sometimes just the act of writing down a goal and admitting it is a step in and of itself.

Dedicate Time To It

Now that you have determined what goals you had in mind, it’s time to get started. It’s not enough just to say you want to do something; you have to carve out the time to do it. I know that it might sound impossible to actually have any time to yourself, at least for the next ten years or so,  but that is not true. Everyone has time, we just don’t always know how to spend it properly. Take a hard look at your schedule and see if there are areas that you could cut back on or just chunks of time that you are wasting. Once again, ask your husband for some help to give you that time. This could be as simple as taking an hour every Saturday afternoon, or a half an hour every weekday morning. If you really want to make something happen, you will make the time.

Give Yourself Grace

There is far too much mom guilt in the world. As moms, it can be too easy to feel guilty about taking time to do something we want to do if it means it takes time away from our families. Since many of you are already working mothers, you may feel like you have to make up for the time you lost during the day at work. But, taking a little bit of time to work on some goals and plans you have, isn’t being selfish. As the daughter of a working mother, I never felt left out or neglected when I had to go to the babysitters. My mother sacrificed everything for my happiness, and I am sure that you are doing the same for your children. That is why I recommend only taking a small amount of time to work on your goals each week, asking your husband for help, or getting up earlier to get more done. But, don’t feel guilty for pursuing your dreams. That does not have to mean you are neglecting your family. However, by starting small, you won’t have to worry about being apart from your family for too long.

Multi-Task

Now, I am not suggesting that you multi-task while trying to achieve your goals or have family time, but figure out what things you can multi-task on. For example, why not throw in some laundry while you are cooking dinner, or tidy up the kitchen while your kids tell you about their days. Sometimes being a more organized mom is about doing small things every day, rather than a big clean or laundry day each week. And, by multi-tasking, that might free up some time for you that you didn’t have before.

Don’t Give Up

Don’t throw in the towel because you think you don’t have the time or resources. If you want to achieve more goals, then make this a priority. You deserve to make these things happen, so don’t sell yourself short.

Celebrate The Little Victories

Don’t get frustrated when things aren’t coming along as quickly as you once expected. Because you are a full-time working mother, it’s impressive that you even have goals that you are trying to achieve. When you get little parts of your list completed, celebrate. Life is made up of little moments after all.

I hope that this article has inspired you to go out and achieve your goals today. I know that you can do it!

Author Bio
Rachel is the website manager for a site called OurStart.com. OurStart is a lifestyle blog for women in their 20s and 30s, and they regularly talk about issues relating to pregnancy, parenting, weddings, and family. Rachel is a recent graduate of Grove City College and enjoys writing from cute cafes in her spare time.